VOL 12 ISSUE 07
58
74
Heigh-Ho, I/O
Keyboard & Mouse Buyers Guide
Copyright 2012 by Sandhills Publishing Company. CPU Computer Power User is a registered trademark of Sandhills Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Reproduction of material appearing in
Computer Power User is strictly prohibited without written permission. Printed in the U.S.A. GST # 123482788RT0001 (ISSN 1536-7568) CPU Computer Power User USPS 020-801 is published
monthly for $29 per year by Sandhills Publishing Company, 131 West Grand Drive, P.O. Box 85673, Lincoln, NE 68501. Subscriber Services: (800) 733-3809. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, NE and
additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Computer Power User, P.O. Box 82545, Lincoln, NE 68501.
Did you find the hidden CPU logo on our cover? Turn the page to find the answer.
JULY 2012
Frontside
10
14
Whats Happening
Digital Economy
Heavy Gear
16
20
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
30
31
32
34
Bandwidth Busters
Ivy Bridge Memory Roundup
Featured On The Cover
Corsair Dominator Platinum
CyberPower Gamer Xtreme 2000 SE
Cooler Master TPC-812
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H WiFi
XFX Double D HD 7850
SAPPHIRE Pure Platinum Z77K
Rosewill RK-8200
Rosewill RM-5000L
Antec EarthWatts Platinum EA-650
Bgears b-blaster 120mm
OCZ 1000W Fatal1ty Series
Power From The Darkness
iBUYPOWER Erebus
Coming Attractions
New Arrivals In The World Of PC Hardware
42
43
44
Corsair Vengeance
16GB Dual
Channel DDR3
45
47
Logisys Streamline
Character-Illuminated
Blue LED USB Keyboard
VOL 12 ISSUE 07
JULY 2012
VOL 12 ISSUE 07
Loading Zone
88 The Bleeding Edge Of Software
Inside The World Of Betas
89 Up To Speed
Upgrades Thatll Keep You Humming Along
90 TechSmith Snagit v.11
91 PC Decrapifier
Foxit Reader 5
92 Software Tips & Projects
Underappreciated Freebies From
The Big Boys
Digital Living
94 At Your Leisure
PC & Console Games & Gear
100 Crowdfunding A Renaissance
Kickstarter Creates A New Generation Of
Art Patrons . . . Us
Whats Cooking
103 Technically Speaking
An Interview With Sonny Su,
TRENDnets Technology Director
106 Under Development
A Peek At Whats Brewing In The Laboratory
94
Back Door
110 Q&A With Ramsom Koay
Thermaltakes Director Of Marketing & PR
Gives Us The Straight Dope On WATER2.0
Gotcha.
Here it is.
Infinite Loops
Strange stats and other oddball items from
computings periphery 94
Customer Service
(For questions about your
subscription or to place an
order or change an address.)
customer-service@cpumag.com
Toll Free: (800) 733-3809
Fax: (402) 479-2193
To make a payment
Computer Power User
P.O. Box 85673
Lincoln, NE 68501-5673
General inquiries
Computer Power User
P.O. Box 82545
Lincoln, NE 68501-2545
Hours
Mon. - Fri.: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. (CST)
Online Customer Service &
Subscription Center
www.cpumag.com
Web Services
(For questions about
our Web site.)
webhelp@cpumag.com
(800) 733-3809
Subscription Renewals
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Fax: (402) 479-2193
www.cpumag.com
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Toll Free: (800) 247-4880
Fax: (402) 479-2104
131 W. Grand Drive
Lincoln, NE 68521
* As of May 2012
** Manufacturers
estimated price
per 1,000
10
CPU
AMD FX-8150 Black Edition Eight-Core
AMD FX-8120 Black Edition Eight-Core
AMD FX-6100 Black Edition Six-Core
AMD A8-3870K Black Edition Quad-Core
AMD A8-3850 Quad-Core
AMD FX-4100 Quad-Core
AMD A6-3670K Black Edition Quad-Core
AMD A6-3650 Quad-Core
Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition
Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition
Intel Core i7-3930K
Intel Core i7-3770K
Intel Core i7-3770
Intel Core i7-2700K
Intel Core i7-2600K
Intel Core i5-3570K
Intel Core i5-2550K
Intel Core i5-3550
Intel Core i3-2130
Intel Core i3-2120
Released
10/12/2011
10/12/2011
10/12/2011
12/20/2011
7/3/2011
10/12/2011
12/20/2011
7/3/2011
11/14/2011
2/14/2011
11/14/2011
4/23/2011
4/23/2011
10/24/2011
1/9/2011
4/23/2011
2/8/2012
4/23/2011
9/4/2011
2/20/2011
Original Price
$245**
$205**
$165**
$135**
$135**
$115**
$115**
$115**
$990**
$999**
$555**
$332**
$294**
$332**
$317**
$225**
$225**
$205**
$138**
$138**
Ha rdware Mol e
Corsair Launches New Fan Lineup
11
Software S h ort s
Opera 12 Beta Takes A Bow
If youre a fan of the Opera browser and are in the mood for something new, head over to www.opera.com/browser/next
and grab the beta for Wahoo, aka Opera 12. Opera Software says 12 is both smarter and faster than its predecessors, and
boasts on its laundry list of new features, including especially the addition of themes and the creation of a separate process
for plug-ins. Themes, as you can probably guess, are graphical backgrounds that you can download and/or create and apply
to dramatically change the look of your browser. Creating a separate process for browser plug-ins prevents them from
taking your browser down with them if they
crash. Opera also says it optimized the 12 betas network SSL code and gave it smarter tab
loading to accelerate startup and shutdown,
and added support for the getUserMedia API
for enhanced camera support. Opera 12 will
also have an improved interface for rightto-left scripts, and as a result will support
Arabic, Farsi, Urdu, and Hebrew. New 64-bit
versions and improved HTML5 support are
also on the docket, so check it out.
12
Site S e e i n g
The Minecraft Wiki
Minecraft recently made its way to Xbox Live Arcade,
adding the millions of people playing the game there
to the tens of millions who were already playing on the
PC. Naturally, such a sub-cultural phenomenon needs
a wiki, and it has one (www.minecraftwiki.net). But
Minecraft is better suited to an online wiki for how-to
and general information than most games, because more
than just about any other game out there, Minecraft
drops you into a pixelated world, pats you on the back,
and says, Go get em, Tiger. Minecraft is one of the
cleverest expressions of creative energy to come along in
a while, but even the most creative folks occasionally need a nudge to figure out the games arcane formulas. If youve ever wondered where the best place to dig for diamonds is, or how to go about merging two or more minecarts, this is the site for you.
13
80.2
MILLION
Now here is a game company that knows its perks. CCP, the maker of the EVE Online MMOG and
upcoming DUST 514 shooter, says it offers benefits such as free meals by personal chefs, in-office
recreational equipment, and company trips to exotic locations like Marrakesh and Budapest.
The Reykjavik, Iceland-based firm has offices in Shanghai; Newcastle, UK; and Stone Mountain,
Georgia. The company has loads of job openings at its Iceland, UK, and Shanghai locations, but
as it expands its MMOG universe to other regions, it has a special need for experts to work on
international projects. A Russian Speaking Game Master is needed in the Reykjavik office to
handle community relations and customer service. The Shanghai office needs a Technical Director
for the upcoming console title DUST 514 who can lead a team of programmers. And if you prefer
world travel, the VP/Senior Director of Corporate Communications is located globally to handle
marketing and company outreach everywhere.
www.ccpgames.com/en/jobs
Median wage
2010
Education
19%
$100,660
Doctoral or professional
degree
Computer programmers
12%
$71,380
Bachelors degree
Computer support
specialists
18%
$46,260
22%
$77,740
Bachelors degree
Database administrators
31%
$73,490
Bachelors degree
22%
$75,660
Bachelors degree
28%
$69,160
Bachelors degree
Software developers
30%
$90,530
Bachelors degree
(Source: Nielsen)
14
MILLION
Projected
Change
2010-2012
MILLION
Occupation
45%
147.4
33.5
Do You Use An
E-Reader Device
to Read Books?
2010
2011
2012
Yes
8%
15%
28%
No
92%
85%
72%
Bandwidth Busters
Ivy Bridge Memory Roundup
vy Bridge represents Intels first
processor family manufactured at
22nm, and as with the Penryn (45nm)
and Westmere (32nm) die shrinks that
preceded it, this transition to a smaller
manufacturing process retains much of
the architectural hallmarks of the previous
generation, Sandy Bridge. But when you
look closer, youll see the dramatically
overhauled graphics core on Ivy Bridge
and the Tri-Gate transistors Intel used to
reduce leakage on these processors. We
gave you the scoop on those particulars
in the June issue of CPU, in White Paper
on page 51 and our Z77 motherboard
roundup on page 17.
One aspect we havent already covered
in exhaustive detail yet is how Ivy Bridge
handles memory. As youd expect, Ivy
Bridges dual-channel memory controller
is still on-die, and in addition to faster
CPUs that consume less power, Ivy
Bridge memory also enjoys enhanced
speed and efficiency. Mobile Ivy Bridge
and the Panther Point chipset now
support DDR3L (low-voltage) memory,
which operates at 1.35V and supports
max speeds of 1,600MHz. Desktop
memory will still operate between 1.5V
and 1.65V (and usually one or the
other). Intel also enabled power gating
on the DDR3 interface, which lets the
system cut power to the memory if
theres no external memory activity.
Another impressive benefit Ivy
Bridge brings to the table is finer DDR
frequency control, letting you increase
memory frequency in 200MHz increments. Ivy Bridge bumps the supported
overclocked memory frequencies from
Sandy Bridges 2,133MHz to a skyhigh 2,800MHz, but as we found out,
16
How We Tested
Despite support for 1.5V memory,
the kits we received all run at 1.65V.
Before testing, we manually set the
BIOS to the appropriate XMP profile
that matched the memorys SPDindicated frequency and timings, or,
failing that, manually input the timings
and set the frequency. This worked for
all but the Kingston memory, which
our motherboard couldnt run at its
peak frequency, so we stepped down to
the next-fastest XMP profile. We used
G.SKILL offers several new dualchannel Ivy Bridge memory kits that
achieve speeds up to 2,800MHz,
under the TridentX label. The kit
we got consisted of a pair of 4GB
modules clocked at DDR3-2400. Z77based motherboards widely support
2,400MHz memory, so we had no
trouble getting to motherboard to run
this memory at its top speed. This kit
runs at 1.65V and has native timings of
10-12-12-31.
The heatsinks on TridentX memory
differ significantly compared to the thin
aluminum RipjawsZ heatsinks. These
are thick chunks of aluminum that add
a lot of height to the modules. Remove
the pair of screws on either side of a
module, however, and you can slide
off the top fin and reduce the module
height from 2.1 inches to 1.5 inches.
That might not sound like much, but
its enough to allow clearance for large
CPU coolers that hang over the memory
slots on most of the Z77 motherboards
we tested.
In Sandra 2012s Memory Bandwidth tests, G.SKILLs TridentX kit
scored 28.14GBps and 28.11GBps in
the integer and floating point tests,
respectively. The memor y latency
test, this kit achieved a 20.4ns speed,
a huge difference if
youre running a massive
CPU cooler.
17
18
G.Skill
TridentX
DDR3-2400
$99.99
10-12-12-31
1.65V
8GB
Kingston HyperX
DDR3-2800
@ 2667MHz /
11-13-13-30)
TBA
12-14-14-32
1.65V
4GB
Final Thoughts
If youre building your new system
based on Ivy Bridge and Panther Point,
then youre probably looking to take
advantage of the higher memory speeds
available on the platform. Any one of
these blazing fast DDR3 kits will help
you make the most of your overclocking,
gaming, and other enthusiast pursuits.
BY
ANDREW LEIBMAN
Patriot
Division 2
Viper Xtreme
DDR3-2400
$99.99
11-11-11-30
1.65V
8GB
PNYXLR8
Benchmark Results
DDR3-2133
Price
$89.99
Timings
9-11-10-27
Voltage
1.65V
Kit capacity
8GB
Sandra 2012 Lite Memory Bandwidth
Integer Buffered iAVX/128 (GBps)
28.14
27.56
27.66
28.55
Float Buffered iAVX/128 (GBps)
28.11
27.57
27.61
28.57
Sandra 2012 SP3 Lite Memory Latency
20.4ns
19.7ns
20.9ns
21.5ns
Aliens vs. Predator
470.8
470.9
469.3
471.4
Test system specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K; Motherboard; MSI Z77A-GD65; GPU: Zotac GeForce GTX 580; Storage: 128GB
Crucial RealSSD C300; OS: Windows 7 Enterprise (64-bit)
19
Intelligent Memory
Only a fraction of the memory chips that pass Corsairs already
rigorous standards make it into Dominator Platinum DIMMs, which
are hand-assembled to ensure the highest quality possible. They
come in the highest capacity currently available using 4Gb DRAM
ICs, up to 64GB, and also come with the highest frequency limits
the industry has to offer, reaching 2800MHz and beyond.
Available in dual- and quad-channel configurations for Z77
and X79 platforms alike, Dominator Platinum modules are
Advertisement
20
Advanced Cooling
Dominator Platinum DIMMs reflect the furthest evolution of
Corsairs innovative cooling technologies, with a new look that is
bolder. The companys patented DHX (Dual-path Heat eXchange)
cooling technology provides best-in-class cooling via internal and
external heatsinks that connect to a DIMMs PCB thermal pads
and memory chips, respectively.
The traditional Dominator cooling fins are more effective than
ever, and Dominator Platinum kits take the aggressive look youve
come to expect a step further, adding a customizable light pipe
and a polished aluminum light bar that runs across the top of the
fins. Options for customizing the light pipes look and feel will be
available in September 2012.
Polished Aluminum
Light Bar
Customizable
Light Pipe
Inner Patented
DHX Heatsink With
Integrated Fin
Custom PCB
With Internal
Cooling Planes &
External Copper
Thermal Pads
DHX Patented
Outer Heat
Spreader
Hand-Screened
Performance ICs
Stainless Steel
Hardware
Corsair Link
Integration
21
Benchmark Results
NATHAN LAKE
CyberPower Gamer
Xtreme 2000 SE
3DMark 11 Extreme
Overall
X1640
Graphics Score
1463
Physics Score
8534
Combined Score
1965
Graphics Test 1
7. 38
Graphics Test 2
7.95
Graphics Test 3
7.33
Graphics Test 4
4.33
Physics Test
27.1
Combined Test
9.14
PCMark 7
Overall
6111
Productivity
5873
Creativity
7173
Entertainment
5711
Computation
7931
System Storage
4839
114.73
68.88
Processor Multi-Media
x16 Multi-Media Integer iAVX
(Mpixels per second)
222.55
274.42
155.72
Memory Bandwidth
Integer Memory Bandwidth
B/F AVX/128 (GBps)
21
21
Physical Disk
Read Performance (MBps)
394.14
Cinebench 11.5
CPU*
7.54
1414.55
209
Sequential Write
61.57
201.9
67.57
30
62.34
47.28
61.07
1,920 x 1,200
FPS
28.4
Score
715
Games
2,560 x 1,600
21.7
19.67
1,900 x 1,200
Specs: CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K @ 4.6GHz; GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7850; RAM: 8GB Corsair
Vengeance DDR3-1600; Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z77X-D3H; Storage: 60GB Corsair Force 3, 1TB
Seagate Barracuda; Optical Drive: ASUS BC-12B1ST; OS: Windows 7 Home Premium (64-bit)
22
39.2
30.4
* points
** pixels per second
TPC-812
$69.99
Cooler Master
www.coolermaster-usa.com
Benchmark Results
CPU
Min
Max
28.3
Core 1
28
23
31
Core 2
26.5
23
31
Core 3
25.4
22
31
Core 4
30.3
23
32
CPU
62.8
Core 1
59.3
58
60
Core 2
62.9
62
64
Core 3
60.2
59
61
Core 4
63.1
61
64
CPU
63.6
Core 1
60.2
59
61
Core 2
64
63
65
Core 3
61.4
60
63
Core 4
63.6
62
66
Specs: Dimensions: 6.4 x 5.4 x 4.1 inches (HxWxD); Socket compatibility: Intel LGA775/1155/
1156/1366/2011, AMD AM2/2+/3/3+, AMD FM1; Materials: Copper base, two vertical vapor
chambers, six heatpipes, aluminum fins; Fan speed: 600 to 2,400rpm; Air flow: 19.17 to 86.15cfm;
Noise: 19 to 40 dBA
Test system specs: CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K; Motherboard: Intel DP67BG; RAM: 8GB Patriot
DDR3-1600; GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7970; Storage: Patriot Wildfire 240GB; PSU: PC Power &
Cooling Turbo-Cool 860W
23
Benchmark Results
3DMark 11 Extreme
COGLEY
GA-Z77X-UD5H WiFi
$229.99
GIGABYTE
www.gigabyte.us
Specs: Form Factor: ATX; Max memory: 32GB (DDR3-2400); Slots: 3 PCI-E x16, 2 PCI-E
x1, 1 PCI; Storage: 5 6Gbps SATA, 4 3Gbps SATA, 1 mSATA, 1 eSATA; Rear I/O: 4 USB 3.0,
2 USB 2.0, 1 eSATA, 1 IEEE 1394a, 2 Gigabit Ethernet, 1 optical S/PDIF, VGA, DVD-D, HDMI,
DisplayPort, analog audio I/O
Test system specs: CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K; RAM: 8GB Patriot Memory Viper Xtreme
DDR3-1600; GPU: XFX Double D HD 7970 Black Edition; Storage: 128GB Crucial RealSSD
C300; OS: Windows 7 Enterprise
24
GIGABYTE
GA-Z77X-UD5H
WiFi
Overall
X2919
Graphics Score
2666
Physics Score
9688
Combined Score
3118
Graphics Test 1
14.14
Graphics Test 2
14.79
Graphics Test 3
13.03
Graphics Test 4
7.69
Physics Test
30.76
Combined Test
14.5
PCMark 7
Overall
5520
Productivity
5511
Creativity
6171
Entertainment
5710
Computation
7103
System Storage
5050
128
98.42
Processor Multi-Media
x16 Multi-Media Integer iAVX
(Mpixels per second)
222.86
329.63
185
Memory Bandwidth
Integer Memory Bandwidth
B/F AVX/128 (GBps)
21.33
21.38
Media Transcode
Transcode WMV (MBps)
1.57
1.84
Cinebench 11.5
CPU*
7.8
1401.05
Games
Metro 2033 (4XAA, 16XAF)
31.33
39.3
* points
** pixels per second
Games tested at 2,560 x 1,600.
Double D HD 7850
$269.99 | XFX
www.xfxforce.com
XFX Double D
HD 7850
Radeon HD
7950
Price
$269.99
~$400
Core clock
860MHz
800MHz
Memory clock
1,200MHz
1,250MHz
Memory interface
256-bit
384-bit
Memory
2GB GDDR5
3GB GDDR5
Overall
P5632
P6907
Graphics Score
5212
6591
Physics Score
9718
9616
Combined Score
5496
6500
Graphics Test 1
20.94
28.48
Graphics Test 2
24.21
32.55
Graphics Test 3
33.85
41.58
Graphics Test 4
17.28
20.12
Physics Test
30.85
30.53
Combined Test
25.56
30.24
FPS
27.9
36.6
Score
702
3DMark 11 Performance
Unigine Heaven
Games
921
1,920 x 1,200
Metro 2033
(4X MSAA, 16XAF)
29
38.67
Just Cause 2
(8XAA, 16XAF)
64.23
79.76
34.8
49.9
2,560 x 1,600
Metro 2033
(4X MSAA, 16XAF)
18.33
25
Just Cause 2
(8XAA, 16XAF)
42.29
53.82
21.4
31.4
ANDREW LEIBMAN
25
NATHAN LAKE
Specs: Form factor: ATX; Max memory: 32GB (DDR3-1600); Slots: 4 PCI-E x16, 2 PCI-E x1; Storage; 2
6Gbps SATA, 4 3Gbps SATA, Rear I/O: PS/2, 2 USB 3.0, 4 USB 2.0, optical S/PDIF, HDMI, DisplayPort, VGA,
DVI-D, Killer E2200 Gigabit LAN, analog audio I/O
Test system specs: Processor: Intel Core i7-3770K; GPU: XFX Double D HD 7970 Black Edition; RAM: 8GB
AMD Performance DDR3-1600; Storage: 128GB Crucial RealSSD C300; OS: Windows 7 Enterprise (64-bit)
26
SAPPHIRE
Pure Platinum
Z77K
3DMark 11 Extreme
Overall
X2811
Graphics Score
2571
Physics Score
9351
Combined Score
2961
Graphics Test 1
13.57
Graphics Test 2
14.17
Graphics Test 3
12.68
Graphics Test 4
7.43
Physics Test
29.69
Combined Test
13.78
PCMark 7
Overall
5317
Productivity
5235
Creativity
6130
Entertainment
5491
Computation
6849
System Storage
5129
122
Whetstone iSSE3
(GFLOPS)
93.53
Processor Multi-Media
x16 Multi-Media Integer
iAVX (Mpixels per second)
222
311.76
x8 Multi-Media Double
iAVX (Mpixels per second)
174.46
Memory Bandwidth
Integer Memory Bandwidth
B/F AVX/128 (GBps)
21.39
21.34
Media Transcode
Transcode WMV (KBps)
1,530
1,830
Cinebench 11.5
CPU*
7.39
1330.81
Games
Metro 2033
(4XAA, 16XAF)
30.6
37.4
* points
** pixels per second
Games tested at 2,560 x 1,600.
Rosewill RK-8200
ith the RK-8200, youll enjoy
many of the features found on
expensive high-end gaming keyboards
for a fraction of the cost. For example,
theres a set of 10 macro keys (five on
the left side and five on the right) to let
you set up keybinds for action, RPG,
and strategy games. Rosewill includes
a configuration utility that simplifies
the macro setup process. The RK-8200
supports three macro profiles, which
makes it easy to move between keybinds
when switching between different
games. Rosewill provides profile buttons at the top of the keyboard to let
you switch profiles without needing to
open the configuration utility. A Mode
button lets you switch the macro keys
on and off if you want to temporarily
disable them.
Rosewill installed
blue LEDs under every
key; the RK-8200 has an
LED ON/OFF button at
the top of keyboard to let you
decide when (or if ) the backlights
are turned on. Compared to some
other gaming keyboards weve tested,
the LEDs seem brighter, so youll easily
be able to see them when the lights
are off in your gamer cave. Gamers
will also like that Rosewill provides a
keycap remover and replacement keys
for the Q, W, E, R, A, S, and D keys.
Instead using a different color for the
replacement keys (as some gaming
keyboards do), Rosewill opts to use
symbols for common controls, such as
an ammo symbol on the R key. Other
helpful features include a built-in USB
port
and audio
jacks on the right
side of the keyboard.
The Rosewill RK-8200 provided decent tactile feedback for a
rubber dome keyboard, and the blue
LED keys made it easy to type in the
dark. Gamers on a budget looking for a
keyboard to handle complex keybinds
should find the RK-8200 a worthwhile investment.
BY
NATHAN LAKE
RK-8200
$59.99
Rosewill
www.rosewill.com
Specs: Interface: USB; Cable length: 5.6 feet; Normal keys: 122; Function keys: 20; Switch life: 5 million keystrokes; Dimensions: 1.18 x 21.38 x 8.81 inches (HxWxD)
Rosewill RM-5000L
his laser mouse from Rosewill
offers three dpi settings: 1,600,
3,200, and 5,000. A built-in LED
button at the top of the mouse
displays the dpi level currently in use;
1,600dpi is blue, 3,200dpi is purple,
and 5,000dpi is red. You can press
the button to quickly change the dpi
to suit the task at hand. Rosewill
also built a number of other gameroriented features into the RM-5000L.
At the back of the RM-5000L, youll
find a removable panel where you can
insert up to seven 7g weights that
Rosewill provides with the mouse. The
weights are shaped like small bullets
and fit into the circular holes in the
panel. The ability to add up 49 grams
lets you customize the weight of the
mouse to match your tastes. There are
Specs: Interface: USB; Tracking method: Laser; Maximum DPI: 5,000; Buttons: 7
28
RM-5000L
$29.99
Rosewill
www.rosewill.com
NATHAN LAKE
CHRIS TRUMBLE
Specs
Antec EarthWatts
EA-650 Platinum
650 (at 50 C)
12V Rails
30
18
20
SLI/CrossFire-ready
No
356
.97
Efficiency rating
(advertised)
Up to 93%
Fan
120mm
PCI-E
Main 12V
4-pin 12V
SATA
4-pin Molex
Floppy
Length (including
cable bend)
6.5 inches
Warranty
3 years
29
30
just a straight up, matte black, threewire job with a Molex adapter thrown
in for good measure. The Molex
connector ends up being a helpful
addition, because it lets you connect
the fan directly to your systems
power supply rather than hoping your
motherboard has an available fan
connector in just the right spot. The
design is dual ball bearing for greater
longevity, and Bgears specifies a single
speed of 2,000rpm.
T h e f a n b l a d e s a re b a c k w a rd inclined and fin-shaped, a more
efficient design than square (radial)
blades. Also, the steepness of the angle
relative to the airflow is greater closer
to the hub, tapering toward flat at
the end of the blades. This marks a
compromise between high airflow and
b-blaster 120mm
$11.99
Bgears
www.bgears.com
Specs: Dimensions: 120 x 120 x 25mm;
Dual ball bearing design; Speed: 2,000rpm;
Current: 0.32A; Power: 3.84W; Voltage: 12V;
Airflow: 103cfm; Noise: 35 dBA
CHRIS TRUMBLE
Specs
OCZ Fatal1ty
Series 1000W
1,000 (at 50 C)
12V Rails
83
25
25
SLI/CrossFire-ready
Yes
400
.969
Efficiency rating
(advertised)
Up to 90%
Fan(s)
140mm
PCI-E
6 (6+2)
Main 12V
1 (20+4)
8-pin EPS12V
2 (4+4)
4-pin 12V
SATA
12
4-pin Molex
Floppy
Length (including
cable bend)
8.25 inches
Warranty
5 years
31
iBUYPOWER offers a wide range of high-performance PCs; the company has something for everyone. But if
youre looking for the pinnacle of performance and design, you need look no further than Erebus, iBUYPOWERs
flagship gaming PC line. We talked with Erebus product manager Brad Soken to find out more about this
impressive system, named after the personification of darkness in ancient Greek mythology.
Soken
Soken
32
Soken
Soken
Soken
Soken
Soken
Soken
33
$PSTBJS"JS4FSJFT41)JHI1FSGPSNBODFt www.corsair.com)
$PPMFS.BTUFS(FNJO**.t1SJDF5#" www.coolermaster-usa.com)
5IFSNBMUBLF8"5&31FSGPSNFSt www.thermaltakeusa.com)
5IFSNBMUBLF8"5&31SPt www.thermaltakeusa.com)
5IFSNBMUBLF8"5&3&YUSFNFt www.thermaltakeusa.com)
POWER SUPPLIES
$PSTBJS(44FSJFT(4t www.corsair.com)
$PSTBJS(44FSJFT(4t www.corsair.com)
$PSTBJS(44FSJFT(4t www.corsair.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO*OUFHSB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO*OUFHSB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO*OUFHSB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO5FTMB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO5FTMB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO5FTMB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO5FTMB38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO/FXUPO38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO/FXUPO38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO/FXUPO38t www.fractal-design.com)
'SBDUBM%FTJHO/FXUPO38IJUF8t www.fractal-design.com)
MONITORS
MEMORY
7JFX4POJD79I-&%t
"%"5"91(9USFNF4FSJFT9(#%VBM$IBOOFMt1SJDF5#"
"%"5"91(9USFNF4FSJFT9(#%VBM$IBOOFMt1SJDF5#"
(4,*--5SJEFOU9%%3.)[(#t1SJDF5#"
(4,*--5SJEFOU9%%3.)[(#t1SJDF5#"
CASES
$PPMFS.BTUFS)"'9.t www.coolermaster-usa.com)
%JBCMPUFL5*5"/95"59.JE5PXFSt1SJDF5#" diablotek.com)
&/&3."904530(t www.ecomastertek.com)
/;954XJUDI4QFDJBM&EJUJPOt
3PTFXJMM3(BNJOH$BTFt www.newegg.com/rosewill)
COOLING
$PSTBJS"JS4FSJFT"'2VJFUt www.corsair.com)
$PSTBJS"JS4FSJFT"'1FSGPSNBODFt www.corsair.com)
$PSTBJS"JS4FSJFT"'2VJFUt www.corsair.com)
$PSTBJS"JS4FSJFT412VJFUt www.corsair.com)
34
PERIPHERIALS, ETC.
";J0-FWFUSPO.FDI(BNJOH,FZCPBSEt
$PPMFS.BTUFS"3$.BD#PPL1SPJ1BE4UBOEt1SJDF5#" www.coolermaster-usa.com)
$PPMFS.BTUFS$.4UPSN5SJHHFS,FZCPBSEt www.coolermaster-usa.com)
&QTPO)PNF$JOFNB)%1SPKFDUPSt
'SBDUBM%FTJHO"EKVTU'BO$POUSPMMFSt www.fractal-design.com)
-PHJUFDI"MFSUO*OEPPS.BTUFS4FDVSJUZ4ZTUFNt
-PHJUFDI"MFSUO"EE0O$BNFSBt
-PHJUFDI4PMBSJ1BE,FZCPBSE'PMJPt
0UUFS#PY3FGMFY4FSJFTJ1IPOF4$BTFTt
0MZNQVT4;.3IJTt
0MZNQVT5PVHI5(IJTt
08$%*:,JUGPS.BDNJOJt www.macsales.com)
Uber Cube
36
was a cube that would hinge in half; the monitor was not a part
of the original design. I also planned on using more pieces from
cannibalized cases (hard drive rack and PSU mount) but decided
to make my own.
A software tester by day, Stefanski says he knew he was all in
when he found himself at work typing with bloody fingers from
twisting so many wires the night before.
Speaking of wires, the 18-inch (squared, natch) Uber Cube
contains 300 feet of wire. Stefanski rerouted all the wiring
from its dual 500W Corsair power supplies so that it comes
out the back of the units and also replaced their stock fans.
As you can see from the interior shots, every wire in the case
has been stripped, sleeved, and tastefully positioned. One PSU
powers the motherboard, and the other handles the graphics
cards and cooling system. The system functions as though
there were a single power supply, however. The entire cube
runs from a single power cord, and one power button turns
everything on.
Other notable elements at play in Uber Cube include its
impeccable lighting, Stefanskis gamer handle (Getim) adorning
the interior of the lower-right half of the case in the form of a
UV-reactive graffiti tag, and the 19-inch LCD monitor built
into one side panel.
Give Us
Your Mod
Have a computer
mod that will bring
tears to our eyes?
Email photos and
a description to
madreadermod@
cpumag.com. If we
include your system
in our Mad Reader
Mod section, well
send you $1,500
and a one-year
subscription to CPU.
Uber Cubes
component list
includes an Intel
Core i7-2600K, ASUS
Maximus IV Extreme mobo,
16GB of Corsair DDR3-1333
memory, an ASUS Matrix GTX 580
Platinum video card, the two aforementioned 500W Corsair PSUs, a 120GB SSD boot
drive, and 4TB of mass storage.
After his work on the Uber Cube, Stefanski
has some advice to pass along to beginning and
future modders. Buy the crimp tool for Molex
connectors; its not worth hand-crimping 62
Molex ends with pliers, Stefanski says. Also,
account for putting your case together and
taking it apart dozens of times. Finally, he says,
When fiddling with your PSU, make sure its
unplugged. I speak from experience.
CPU / June 2012
37
40
Parts On Parade
Lets start with the component that
makes all this possible: Mountain Mods
H2gO, a delightful little case that had
plenty of room for all of our power
user hardware. Mountain Mods fused a
sturdy carrying handle to the top panel
of our H2gO, which effectively lets us
(and you, if youre the lucky winner
when we give away the LAN Party
Boxster at QuakeCon 2012) move our
system from car to table and start our
LAN party fragging while other people
are still waiting in line for a dolly. Also,
41
Specs: Dimensions: 12.75 x 13.5 x 17 inches (HxWxD); Motherboard support: mATX and ATX; Bays: three 5.25-inch external, three 3.5-inch internal; Fans:
three optional 120mm front, three optional 120mm rear
42
Media Prowess
The Core i7-3770K comes equipped
with a graphics video engine that offers full hardware acceleration of video
decoding (AVC, H.264, VC-1, and
MPEG-2) and encoding for MPEG-2,
AVC, and H.264 formats, among others.
Intel even includes support for individual processing features, including
frame rate conversion and image stabilization. Those interested in using
the Intel Core i7-3770K without a discrete GPU will also like that Intel HD
Graphics 4000 supports triple-display
configurations, DirectX11, and resolutions up to 2,560 x 1,600.
Power Within
Besides enjoying eight threads of performance, we also like that Core i73770K processor comes with 8MB of
Intel Smart Cache that shares the cache
data among all the cores. The 3770K
is compatible with Intels LGA 1155
socket and works with up to 32GB of
DDR3-1600 memory, so itll be able
to natively work with the high-end
memory in our LAN party build. Intel
was also able to reduce the chips power
consumption by shrinking the die size
Specs: Socket: Intel LGA 1155; Clock speed: 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Max Turbo); 8MB Intel Smart Cache; TDP: 77W; Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 4000
43
Vengeance Speed
It takes more than just a fast megahertz
rating to make high-quality memory.
Corsair has programmed the Vengeance
DDR3-1600MHz kit to run at some fairly
aggressive timings: 9-9-9-27. Even better,
the modules can operate with these timings
at a voltage of 1.5V, so we didnt have to
worry about whether the memory would
Specs: Capacity: 16GB (4 x 4GB); Timings 9-9-9-27; Voltage: 1.5V; Unbuffered: Non-ECC; Lifetime warranty
44
be compatible with the voltage recommended for our Z77 motherboard. Corsair
integrates Intel XMP Profiles that allowed
us to configure the memory to performance settings in one BIOS selection.
45
light thats both brighter and more comfortable to look at than traditional keyboard backlights. Theres also a light on/
off button the upper right side, so that
you can take a break from the backlight if
you want to kick back and watch a movie
or surf the web for a while.
Keyboard Quality
Each key on the Streamline Character-illuminated Blue USB keyboard is built with a
dedicated cutout around the square-shaped
key that provides you with a clean-cut look.
For responsiveness, the keys feature anti-slip
rubberized surfaces that deliver a soft-touch
typing experience, and the PerfectStroke key
system gives the keys a smooth action that
Specs: Interface: USB (wired); Cable length: 7 feet; Normal keys: 104; Function keys: 19; Switch life: 5 million; Dimensions: 7 x 16.9 x 0.55 inches (HxWxD)
47
48
Benchmark Results
LAN Party
Boxster
X3224
X3242
Graphics Score
2954
2966
Physics Score
9942
10667
Combined Score
3414
3414
15.65
15.46
15.31
15.24
13.95
14.29
9.05
9.11
31.56
33.87
15.88
15.88
Overall
5782
6174
Productivity
5647
6249
Creativity
5845
6140
Entertainment
5684
6000
Computation
5705
6534
System Storage
5319
5338
PCMark 7
156.21
174
98.54
108.67
234.53
258.61
319
351.42
181
199.77
20.78
20.84
20.77
20.83
Processor Multi-Media
Memory Bandwidth
Media Transcode
Transcode WMV (MBps)
1.14
1.26
1.13
1.24
CPU*
7.93
8.67
1411.52
1557.52
Cinebench 11.5
Games
1,920 x 1,200
55.7
55.8
43.33
42.67
* Points
** Pixels per second
49
Ron K. asked: Ive been building systems for years and have always included
a defrag utility with all builds. When I
switched to SSDs for the primary drive,
I continued to install a defrag utility, but
I switched to Diskeeper Pro with HyperFast, which is supposedly optimized for
SSDs. Unfortunately, the more I read and
research SSDs, the more I wonder if a
defrag utility is required (or even if it is
harmful to SSDs life and/or performance).
Whats the real story?
A: Although you didnt say as much, were
obligated to make this point very clear:
Never run a traditional defrag operation
on an SSD. Including some form of defrag
software with your builds isnt a bad idea as
long as there are still mechanical hard drives
inside. Now more than ever, secondary
drives that handle a lot of media files and
photos can get fragmented fairly quickly.
Condusiv Technologies, Diskeepers
developer, reports that even SSDs with
TRIM support can become fragmented,
which forces what should be a sequential
read/write operation to be performed as
a random one, which tend to be slower.
How much slower is up for debate, even
as SSDs continue to mature. According
to a Condusiv blog post, however, SSD
performance can suffer when free space
50
51
A: The price of memory is very attractive at the moment, and if youve caught
any of our recent memory roundups,
then you know the kinds of numbers a
kit of 2,133MHz memory can post. Yes,
2,133MHz and 1,866MHz memory will
perform faster than your current 1,600MHz
memory. How much faster really comes
down to the applications you use.
We stuck an 8GB kit of dual-channel
DDR3-2133 from PNY into our Ivy
Bridge test system and ran Sandras
Memory Bandwidth test. At the default
2,133MHz (with 9-11-10-27 timings)
the memory posted a 28.5GBps aggregate memory performance score. Downclocked to 1,600MHz (9-9-9-27), the
system posted a 21.59GBps score. That
looks like a massive difference, and it can
make a big difference in applications that
require a ton of memory bandwidth.
You mentioned that you play World of
Warcraft and other games, compile code,
and do some video editing. Of those,
only video editing has the potential to demand a lot of memory. On our system we
52
A Kepler Recap
The Kepler GPU architecture, which
made its debut with the GTX 680, is the
key to the strong performance levels of the
54
Vapor chambers
Centermounted
axial fan
Ducted airflow
channeks
Dual vapor
chambers
placing the fan in the middle of the card, the heat from each
GPU remains separated from the other GPU. In addition,
Walker says NVIDIAs engineers have made specific
adjustments to the way the system controls the fans speed,
allowing it to work only as hard as needed, keeping the
noise level at a minimum.
We can use a center-mounted fan, and thats a more
efficient use of the resources, he says. We dont have an
unlimited amount of space. We wanted to stay within a dualslot situation, and its important to not have the thing sound
like a hair dryer.
Source: NVIDIA
55
56
clock speed. Other times, the power demands of the two GPUs were too high to
allow for top-end performance.
There have been constraints with two
GPUs, with power and thermal limitations, Walker says. Because of the power
and thermal constraints, we had to clock
down [previous dual-GPU cards GPUs to
a considerable degree].
However, with the GTX 690, users
dont have to significantly sacrifice performance compared to two GTX 680s.
With the ability to deliver high-end performance with a dual-GPU card in the
GTX 690, Walker says NVIDIA decided
to create an aesthetic that spoke to that
high-end performance.
The thing to understand with the 690
is our purpose and goal with it, Walker
says. Its a pretty simple one, to create
the best graphics card in the worldfast,
elegant, and powerful.
BY
KYLE SCHURMAN
GTX 680
GTX 590
3.5 billion
28nm
40nm
1,006MHz
607MHz
1,058MHz
N/A
6.008GHz GDDR5
3.414GHz GDDR5
1,536
128
195 watts
375 watts
57
58
LETS JUST COME RIGHT OUT AND SAY IT: SOLIDstate drives are no longer cutting-edge tech. Even many exotic
implementations, like SSDs that use a PCI-E interface, are
entering their second or third generation. Cost per gigabyte
continues to drop, while performance and reliability continue to
climb; its a safe bet that even cautious, late-adopting enthusiasts
and cash-strapped power users are now in the solid-state game.
Of course, that only means one thing: Time to upgrade! Lets
say you made a cautious entry into the world of solid-state when
you bought your first SSD a few years ago. It was a little 60GB
unit with a lot of fight in it, but you bought it before TRIM,
6Gbps SATA, and Toggle NAND. Now, so many of the bugs
that affectedsometimes dramaticallyperformance have been
squashed, and with market analysts predicting prices for SSDs to
fall well below $1 per GB in 2012, now is the time to make a big,
fearless investment in a high-end SSD and never look back.
Now that SSDs have gone mainstream, however, theres a crowded
field of manufacturers vying for a slice of the pie, and your hardearned power user bucks. As a result of this intense competition,
you have a lot of options. But first, lets recap the latest developments as well as tell you where the technology is going in 2012.
recently in its Everest 1 and 2 controllers (more on that in a moment). Marvell recently announced the next iteration of its SSD
controller, the 88SS9187, so expect Marvell-based drives to continue packing serious heat.
Lets also not forget about companies that are using their own in-house
smarts. Samsung touts its line 830 SSDs as having in-house controllers (as well as in-house NAND). And although OCZ uses Marvell
controllers as a foundation, Everest 1 and 2 SSDs rely on extremely
custom firmware developed by Indilinx (another fabless semiconductor
company like SandForce), which OCZ acquired in early 2011. We
suspect OCZ will eventually introduce a completely proprietary controller based on its Indilinx acquisition sometime in the near future.
NAND Steps Up
As storage controllers have evolved, so too have the NAND flash
memory chips that both store data and influence an SSDs performance. Whereas IMFT synchronous NAND was the top
performer a year ago, today power users should look for Toggle
NAND-based SSDs for the best performance. (For a more detailed
look at Toggle NAND and how it changed the game for solid-state,
see Toggle Mode NAND Flash on page 42 in the January 2011
issue.) First-gen Toggle NAND, found in drives such as Patriot
Memorys Wildfire and OCZs Vertex 3 Max IOPS drives, was
manufactured on a 32nm process; newer drives such as SanDisks
Extreme line are equipped with 24nm Toggle NAND.
Another advancement you can expect to see very soon is TLC
(triple-level cell) NAND. TLC NAND can store three bits per cell,
compared to SLCs and MLCs respective one and two bits per cell,
which reduces costs but also longevity. And, like the step from SLC
to MLC, you sacrifice some performance using TLC NAND.
59
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
OCZ RevoDrive 3 X2 240GB
$654.99*
www.ocztechnology.com
Why Youll Dig It: OCZ classifies this as a workstation drive, but
we think you should sneak one into your screaming-fast desktop.
The 240GB RevoDrive 3 X2 is the smallest of its brethren (480GB
and 960GB versions exist), but it has plenty of fight in it. By using a
PCI-E 2.0 x4 interface and quad SandForce SF-2281, this RevoDrive
3 X2 is capable of producing spicy sequential reads and writes of
1,500MBps and 1,225MBps, respectively. OCZ claims maximum
random 4KB writes (aligned) of 200,000 IOPS, so yeah; the RevoDrive 3 X2 is a force to be reckoned with. If you can put all this astounding throughput to good use, youll find that this PCI-E SSD will
put 6Gbps SATA SSDs to shame.
Who Should Apply: Its fun to say My SSD is faster than your
SSD neener, neener! but the RevoDrive 3 X2 is truly best for
power users who can put it under heavy load with lots of simultaneous I/O requests.
Capacity: 240GB
Interface: PCI-E x4
Controller: SandForce SF-2281
60
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
Mach Xtreme Technology MX-DS TURBO 240GB
$419.99
www.mx-technology.com
Why Youll Dig It: Take high-quality internal components and mix
them with a look that is straight out of West Coast Customs, and you
have Mach Xtreme Technologys MX-DS TURBO PREMIUM 240GB, and
exceptionally fast and good-looking SSD. (This is the point where we
ignore the well-worn Pimp My Ride clichs and simply say that Xzibit
would most definitely approve of these SSDs.) Equipped with SandForce
silicon, you get all the goodies, such as DuraClass Technology, DuraWrite, RAISE, TRIM, and more. The performance? Blazing: Maximum
reads climb all the way to 555MBps, while maximum reads are nearly as
impressive, at 510MBps. The MX-DS TURBO has a 2 million-hour MTBF
rating, and Mach Xtreme backs the drive with a three-year warranty.
Who Should Apply: Power users who want the power of SandForces
tried-and-true SF-2200 controller and need an SSD with plenty of room
for lots of games and applications should put Mach Xtreme Technologys
MX-DS TURBO 240 on their short list.
Capacity: 240GB
Interface: 6Gbps SATA
Controller: SandForce SF-2200
62
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
63
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
Kingston HyperX SSD 240GB Upgrade Kit
$329.99*
www.kingston.com
Why Youll Dig It: This kit will help you transition your boot drive
from lame to awesome. Mirroring over the contents of your old OS
drive to a shiny new drive isnt a terribly grueling ordeal, but why
wouldnt you make things easier on yourself especially when this
upgrade kit routinely sells for less than the standalone drive? But
putting aside all of the nice extras, this SSD is the best of the best
from Kingstons HyperX SSD line. It blazes through sequential reads
and writes to the tune of 555MBps and 510MBps. Max 4K random
reads and writes are wake-up-and-take-notice good, too87,000
and 58,000 IOPS, respectively. And thanks to its Intel 25nm Compute Quality MLC NAND thats rated for 5,000 program/erase cycles,
this SSD is built to last.
Who Should Apply: Power users who want to painlessly upgrade
their sluggish C: drive to one of the fastest SSDs around.
Capacity: 240GB
Interface: 6Gbps SATA
Controller: SandForce SF-2281
64
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
Transcend SSD720 128GB
$262
www.transcend-info.com
Why Youll Dig It: Transcend is another company that has spent a lot of
years (one shy of 25, to be precise) producing a wide variety of memory-related products, so its no surprise that SSDs are part of Transcends arsenal,
as well. And as far as weaponry goes, the 128GB Transcend SSD720 is one
of the big guns. Powered by SandForces seemingly ubiquitous SF-2281 series controller, the 128GB SSD720 can hit 550MBps for sequential reads and
500MBps for sequential writes. Thanks to its 7mm slim height, the SSD720
can find a home in desktops, laptops, ultrabooks, and netbooks. Like most
newer SSDs, the SSD720 SSDs use synchronous Toggle NAND, so you
know youre getting a modern drive with modern components.
Who Should Apply: The SSD720 series (which are also available in
64GB, 256GB, and 512GB versions) has all of the makings of a fast, reliable
SSD. Its great for anyone who needs fast level loads in games and enthusiasts who want to shave seconds off of application load times.
Capacity: 128GB
Interface: 6Gbps SATA
Controller: SandForce SF-2281
66
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
67
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
Intel SSD 330 Series SSD 180GB
$219*
www.intel.com
Why Youll Dig It: Intel has, for a while, maintained multiple
lines of SSDs for various segments of the market. We had the
X25-E, X25-M, and X25-V families; now, we have the SSD 300,
SSD 500, SSD 700, and SSD 900 families. Intels SSD 300 Series drives are designed for mainstream users, and the SSD 330
Series are the latest. The 180GB SSD 330 Series is the biggest
of the bunch, and, like the SSD 520 Series drives, its rocking a
SandForce SF-2281 controller. Although its not quite as swift as
the SSD 520 Series, the 180GB SSD 330 Series is still one fast
operator. How about 500MBps sequential reads and 450MBps
sequential writes? You like that? Random reads top out at 42,000
IOPS, while random writes hit 52,000 IOPS.
Who Should Apply: Savvy shoppers who want to save a little
green without sacrifice a lot of performance. The SSD 330 Series is
ideal for gamers, content creators, and other demanding users.
Capacity: 180GB
Interface: 6Gbps SATA
Controller: SandForce SF-2281
68
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
70
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
71
SSD
BUYERS GUIDE
SSD
Verbatim SATA III Internal SSD 120GB (47378)
$139.99*
www.verbatim.com
Why Youll Dig It: Verbatim, like SanDisk, is another company thats
arguably best known for its portable storage options (media cards, USB
flash drives, and optical media and burners). And like SanDisk, Verbatims
newest crop of 6Gbps SATA SSDs utilize SandForces SF-2281 storage
processor. This particular drive gives you 120GB of formatted capacity, but
roomier 240GB and 480GB flavors of Verbatims offering are also available.
Perfectly at home in either a laptop or a desktop, the Verbatim SATA III Internal SSD reaches speedometer-shattering speeds, pushing the needle up
to 550MBps for sequential reads and 510Mbps for sequential writes. And of
course, all of the other perks that come with the SF-2281 controllerDuraClass Technology, RAISE, Windows 7 TRIM supportare here, as well.
Who Should Apply: Builders or upgraders seeking a solid-state drive
from a company that has been doing storage for a long, long time. Demanding enthusiasts will find that this Verbatim SSD will meet their performance
needs without costing a fortune.
Capacity: 120GB
Interface: 6Gbps SATA
Controller: SandForce SF-2281
72
BUYERS GUIDE
considered superior for those concerned primarily with having absolutely no latency. People most concerned with convenience, of course,
will likely go with a wireless mouse.
High-end mice also typically include a variety of extra buttons that
you can bind for specific actions in games and other tasks. If youre
looking to improve your ability to multitask in games or speed up
regular tasks, youll want a mouse that offers multiple discrete buttons,
letting you bind a specific action(s) to each button.
Mouse Options
With mice, traditional ball mice have all but vanished; your choice
is either laser or optical. Laser models are generally more accurate.
Examine the mouses DPI rating(s) to compare how precisely the
mouse will track your movements. Similar to keyboards, youll also be
able to select between wired and wireless models. Wired models are
74
Keyboard Options
With keyboards, youll find a wide variety of both mechanical and
rubber dome models. Mechanical keyboards individual keys have
discrete keyswitches that provide a tactile indication that youve
pressed a given key. Some of these mechanical keyswitches also produce a clicky sound when they actuate, so that youll hear when
youve pressed a key. Mechanical keyboards have become a favorite
of gamers and others who want to gain a competitive advantage.
Comparatively, rubber dome keyboards are usually more affordable, which is helpful for builders on a budget.
Another important concern, particularly for some gamers, is the
number of simultaneous key presses a keyboard can support.
Typically, a keyboard that connects via USB will support up to
six simultaneous key presses, but many new USB keyboards have
added support for 20-key rollover, which can eliminate problems
of ghosting and jamming. A PS/2-based keyboard has no limit
on simultaneous key presses, but youll need to ensure that your
motherboard offers a PS/2 port. Most power users also opt for
a wired keyboard because they offer slightly more responsive
75
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
GIGABYTE M8600
$104.99*
www.gigabyte.us
Why Youll Dig It: The M8600 is a part of GIGABYTEs Aivia lineup of gaming peripherals.
GIGABYTE provides the M8600 with 32KB of onboard memory to let you save up to five
programmable profile settings. You can use the M8600 in a wired or wireless mode though
the multifunctional charging/receiver dock. The M8600 also uses a quick-swap battery
system that lets you load a new battery in under two seconds. The mouses GHOST Macro
Engine can store up to 70 macros on the 32KB of memory. The laser mouse can work at
resolutions between 100 and 6,500dpi.
Who Should Apply: Gamers who have lots of different macros that they want to bind to
their mouse.
Interface: USB/Wireless (RF)
MICE
Corsair Vengeance M90
$79.99
www.corsair.com
Why Youll Dig It: This gaming mouse from Corsair offers 15 programmable buttons (with nine macro keys) and built-in flash memory to save your
macros. The Vengeance M90 can save up to six profiles, so you can switch
assigned macros on the fly. For precise movement control, Corsair installs
Avago Technologies 5,700dpi LaserStream gaming sensor, which allows you
to adjust the resolution. The M90 also lets you program the scroll wheel and
configure lift detection. Selectable response times include 1,000Hz, 500Hz,
250Hz, and 125Hz. Teflon glide pads provide you low-friction material that
slides easily across surfaces.
Who Should Apply: Gamers who want to be able to manage macro keys,
onboard profiles, and sensor settings for optimal mouse performance.
Interface: USB
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BUYERS GUIDE
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
77
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
MICE
Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse
$59.95
www.microsoft.com
Why Youll Dig It: The Arc Touch Mouse offers a flexible design
that lets you pop up the mouse to a curved orientation when
youre ready to roll (or scroll); when youre done, you can flatten
the mouse for convenient storage. Flattening the Arc Touch
Mouse also turns the battery off. The Arc Touch Mouses scroll
button lets you use gestures to control navigation. For example,
you can quickly move your finger up or down for fast scrolling.
You can also swipe or flick your finger to scroll across the screen.
Microsofts BlueTrack Technology works on most any surface, so
consider your mousepad optional.
Who Should Apply: Users who need a mouse with a
comfortable design thats easy to pack in a travel bag.
Interface: Wireless (RF)
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BUYERS GUIDE
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
Tt eSPORTS Azurues
$49.99
usa.ttesports.com
Why Youll Dig It: Thermaltake arms the Azurues with an optical beam that
can read up to 1,600dpi. (You can also dial this back to 400dpi or 800dpi, if
you prefer.) The Azurues is built with three 4.5g weights in the bottom, so
you can adjust the mouse to give you the perfect feel. Gamers will also like
the rubber coating finish that provides you with a solid grip. Thermaltake
braids the Azurues USB cable to prevent it from tangling with your other
cables. A low-friction movement design with Teflon feet help to enhance
movement accuracy.
Who Should Apply: Gamers who play first-person shooters and want
a mouse with a variety of features to improve accuracy and enhance
movement precision.
Interface: USB
MICE
Verbatim Ergo Mouse
$37.42
www.verbatim.com
Why Youll Dig It: This right-handed optical mouse provides you with an ergonomic design
that has a nice thumb support. Theres also a rubberized grip that improves comfort and
delivers greater control. Verbatim includes a nano receiver thats designed be plugged into
a USB port indefinitely; theres no risk that it will snap off or tangle any cables connected to
nearby USB ports. The Ergo Mouse uses two AAA batteries and connects to the nano receiver
using the 2.4GHz wireless frequency.
Who Should Apply: Enthusiasts looking for a comfortable mouse that they can use for long
periods of time.
Interface: Wireless (RF)
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BUYERS GUIDE
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
ARCTIC M571
$29.95
www.arctic.ac
Why Youll Dig It: With the ARCTIC M571, youll be able to
select among sensitivity levels of 800dpi, 1,600dpi, and 2,400dpi,
providing you with a DPI level that matches your need for precise
cursor control. An LED on the M571 indicates the currently selected
sensitivity level. You can also adjust the weight of the mouse, as
ARCTIC includes four 6.5g weights. The right-handed, wired mouse
offers back and forth thumb buttons on the sides in addition to the
standard trio of left and right buttons and scroll wheel.
Who Should Apply: Gamers who want a mouse that offers highresolution sensitivity and an adjustable weight to customize the
mouses feel to their preference.
Interface: USB
MICE
BUYERS GUIDE
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KEYBOARDS
BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
Cooler Master CM Storm Trigger
$129.99
www.coolermaster-usa.com
Why Youll Dig It: With the CM Storm Trigger mechanical
keyboard, Cooler Master delivers 64KB of onboard memory for
storing profiles. The keyboard also features five macro keys
along the left side of the keyboard where you can easily access
your keybinds. Cooler Master indicates that the CM Storm
Trigger offers a 1ms response time with 1,000Hz driverless
polling. The mechanical keyboard uses Cherry MX switches
(Black, Blue, Brown, or Red, varying by region) to provide
you with an exceptional tactile response, as well as superb
durability. There are also two USB 2.0 ports, dedicated multimedia keys, and LED backlighting.
Who Should Apply: Keyboard buyers looking for a
mechanical keyboard that can store several profiles.
Interface: USB
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BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
BUYERS GUIDE
83
KEYBOARDS
BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
GIGABYTE K8100
$77.99*
www.gigabyte.us
Why Youll Dig It: This gaming keyboard from GIGABYTE
provides you with a number of high-end features, including a
row of macro keys, a profile changer button, LED backlight
illumination (with an on/off switch), and two USB 2.0 ports.
The USB keyboard also features support for 20 non-ghosting
keystrokes. The K8100s GHOST Macro Engine allows you
to enter complex macro sets. GIGABYTE includes alternative
rubber WASD keys, as well as a helpful keycap puller, and the
keyboard also lets you lock the Windows key. A touch and
slide volume controller is a cool, helpful extra.
Who Should Apply: Performance enthusiasts and gamers
looking for an advanced keyboard with macro support, USB
ports, and LED illumination.
Interface: USB
84
BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
BUYERS GUIDE
KEYBOARDS
I-Rocks KR-6260-BK
$27.99*
www.i-rocksusa.com
Why Youll Dig It: This affordable gaming keyboard is built
to provide you with a tactile response similar to a mechanical
keyboard via I-Rocks POM material plunger. The KR-6260-BK
also offers antighost capability; when connected via PS/2, it
supports 24 simultaneous key presses, and it supports 13
simultaneous key presses in USB mode. There are also three
Turbo typing rates: Turbo 1 allows for up to 13 characters a
second, Turbo 2 allows for up to 50, and Turbo 3 allows for
120 characters per second. LED indicator lights at the top of
the keyboard tell you which Turbo mode (if any) is enabled.
Who Should Apply: Budget buyers who want a keyboard
that can support multiple key presses for gaming.
Interface: USB or PS/2
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BUYERS GUIDE
COMBOS
BUYERS GUIDE
ARCTIC K481
$39.73
www.arctic.ac
Why Youll Dig It: This wireless keyboard
includes a multi-touch pad for cursor/pointer
control, as well as multimedia playback controls
for play/pause, volume down, mute, and volume
up. Below the multi-touch pad, youll also find
left-click and right-click buttons, so youll be able
to remotely control a PC using just the K481. The
keyboard weighs only 1.8 pounds, so itll rest comfortably on your lap, and the mini keyboard can be
easily tucked away when not in use. The K481 is
powered by two AAA batteries, and to save energy,
the keyboard will go into a power-saving mode
after being idle for 10 minutes.
Who Should Apply: People with HTPCs and
entertainment PCs who want a single, lightweight
keyboard to input text and act as a mouse.
Interface: Wireless (RF)
COMBOS
BUYERS GUIDE
ENERMAX briskie
$24.99
www.enermax.com
Why Youll Dig It: This
bundle features a wireless
keyboard and mouse that
both connect to your PC
via a nano receiver. The
keyboard is spill-resistant
to help avoid damage
from food and drink, and
we also like that it offers
a two-level height adjustment, so you can tailor
it to your typing preference. ENERMAX indicates that the membrane keyboard offers a 10 million keystroke life span. The mouse has
an adjustable resolution of 800, 1,000, 1,200, or 1,600dpi, and its ambidextrous design makes it a good choice for left- or right-hand
users. The nano receiver snaps into the mouse for convenient portability. ENERMAX also provides you with a microfiber cleaning cloth
that also doubles as a mousepad.
Who Should Apply: Builders looking to pair their system with a new wireless mouse and keyboard set, as well as HTPC owners
looking for a mouse and keyboard to remotely control their system.
Interface: Wireless (RF)
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Jaangle 0.98i
Publisher and URL: ArtificialSpirit,
www.artificialspirit.com
ETA: Q3 2012
Why You Should Care: Jaangle lets you
listen to your media in a whole new way.
88
Software Updates
Adobe Flash Player 11.2.202.235
Adobe issued an emergency security
update to its ubiquitous Adobe Flash
Player to plug a security vulnerability
that caused the program to crash and
then allowed an attacker to take control
of the system. The update is needed for
version 11.2.202.233 and earlier across
the major platforms. Even Flash Players
on Android systems need updating. On
Windows platforms the vulnerability already was being exploited in Internet
Explorer by email attachments sent by
attackers, Adobe says.
www.adobe.com
Amazon Cloud Drive
Amazons web service for storing
music, images, and files gets a resident
desktop app to supplement the original
web app. This version for both Windows
and Mac OS resides on the Desktop to
allow dragging and dropping of files onto
the cloud drive as well as background uploads and downloads. File transfers can be
paused and resumed.
www.amazon.com
DeviceLock 7.2 Beta 1
For security administrators, this handy
tool lets IT restrict user access to PC peripherals, pieces of the network, etc. The
upcoming 7.2 release is previewed in this
public beta and covers data leakage via
online services like Dropbox, Google
Docs, and Skype. This release also gives
greater control over Microsoft Exchange
messaging and provides administrators
with email alerts in real time.
www.devicelock.com
Firefox 12
This new version of Firefox principally adds silent updates, which lets the
Mozilla browser update without the User
Account Control prompt. Also new, the
Page Source function gets line numbers.
The Find In Page tool centers the search
result. URLs pasted into the download
manager now download automatically.
www.mozilla.org
Opera 12 Beta
The next major revision of this
longstanding browser alternative gets
faster startup and page loading. The
browser supports video cameras and
also uses WebGL for hardware-accelerated boosts to demanding Web apps
and in-browser games. Stability has
been improved with out of process
plug-in architecture.
www.opera.com
HyperSnap 7.15.00
One of the longest-lived screen grabbing/
editing tools is refreshed in this version 7
update. Dragging corners of images now
preserves proportions. Area selection tools
have been changed to allow great visibility
when targeting areas. Fixes have been made
to issues involving freehand selection, text
editing modes, and thumbnail display.
www.hypersnap-dx.com
Driver Bay
Adobe Camera Raw 6.7
The plug-in for Adobe Creative Suite 5
brings support of the RAW image format
from the new wave of high-end D-SLRs.
The Nikon D4/D800 and Canon EOS
1D X/5D Mark III models are included
in this update as well as many others.
www.adobe.com
89
TechSmith Snagit 11
tepping up from Windows 7s
Snipping Tool to Snagit 11 is like
going from an old notebook to a tripledisplay gaming rig. Yeah, the notebook
might get the job done, but once you
experience the power of that gaming
system, youll wonder what took you
so long to upgrade. For anyone who
performs screen captures on a regular
basis, Snagit 11 is a treat.
Most program controls appear
in fly-out menus accessible by rightclicking the Snagit Taskbar Tray icon. To
begin, select from one of three capture
modes: Image, Text, or Video. Then,
select the capture type, such as Full
Screen, Window, or Scrolling Window
(handy for long web pages). You can
program hotkey combos however you
please, but the image capture default of
Print Screen works well. Anyone who
has ever agonized over cropping screen
caps will love the crosshairs and zoom
window Snagit uses to help guide your
capture region placement. You literally
get pixel-level control over capture
borders, so theres no more trimming in
your image editor.
Snagit 11s editor is brimming with
add-on graphics spanning all manner
of arrows, sticky notes, stamps, lines,
text overlays, highlighting, and more.
Adjust each add-ons drop shadow,
border and fill colors, opacity, and more.
We especially like the image styles,
such as the ripped paper look along a
captures bottom. As you might expect,
its easy to go wild with so many visual
toys and take a neat, organized image
and turn it into a kaleidoscopic disaster,
so embellish judiciously and use layer
controls to stack the add-ons.
We found that Snagit 11s text
capture worked perfectly on Word
documents, but not on PDFs. However,
the video capture works on YouTube
videos, protected DVDs, and simply
tooling about in PowerPoint, even
recording the audio stream from your
90
SnagIt 11
$49.95
TechSmith
www.techsmith.com
PC Decrapifier
ast month, we recommended an app
called Advanced Uninstaller Pro that
gave you endless options for uninstalling
programs. This month weve got an app
that takes a very different approach to a
similar issue. PC Decrapifier isnt about
the how of removing programs, its about
the why. A simple utility that doesnt even
installyou just run it PC Decrapifier
first looks at your computers programs and
provides a checklist of recommendations
for what isnt needed, and should be
considered for removal.
This is perfect for a new retail PC. These
typically come loaded down with all sorts of
helpful programs: spyware, adware with
popups, apps youll never need, others to
which you prefer a competing product. PC
Decrapifier quickly finds these, and lays them
out in all their glory. Not everything it lists is
necessarily worth discarding, of course. Thats
up to you. But at least youll know quickly at
BARRY BRENESAL
PC Decrapifier
Free
Jason York
www. pcdecrapifier.com
Foxit Reader 5
oxit Reader is Adobe Readers most
popular competitor among PDF
readers, and the reasons for its success
are clear. First, it loads files much more
quickly than Adobein our experience,
anywhere from two to four times as fast,
depending largely upon your RAM,
processing power, and the documents
size. This can make a real difference with
larger PDFs that can take minutes to
load. Second, Foxit is easy on memory.
Foxit Corporation recommends 128MB,
but it loads and runs comfortably within
64MB RAM. Third, its secure. Adobe
has been the subject of vulnerability
warnings as recently as within a month
of this review, and not for the first time
this year. FRs last security update was
in early 2011; the next to last, in mid2010. Both developers are conscientious
about quick patching, but FR has
required far fewer of them.
BARRY BRENESAL
Foxit Reader 5
Free
Foxit
www.foxitsoftware.com
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Registry Tip
Of The Month
Tired of rifling through the Start menu
every time you want to call up the Control
Panel? Why not put it on the right-click
context menu? Use Regedit to go to HKEY_
CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\
shell. Right-click to make a New Key and
name it Control Panel. Right-click the
new Control Panel key and make another
key named command. Double-click the
default value for this new command key
in the right pane. In the Value data space
enter rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_
RunDLL. The change should be immediate
when you right-click the Desktop.
92
Go to speedtest.microsoftonline.com/
and start the test. You get the usual
upload and download speeds, of course,
but the analysis also evaluates the
efficiency of the route your signal takes
to the center, the maximum capacity of
your connection, the packet loss that
takes place, and even DNS table lookup
speeds.
Microsoft Mesh
Ma n y o f u s h a v e nt r e v i s i t e d
Microsoft Live Essentials since we
first installed Windows 7 years ago.
These are the free additional programs
like Messenger, Photo Gallery, and
Movie Maker that are not included
in the operating system but broaden
its functionality. A newer tool is Live
Mesh, which lets you sync folders across
your PCs and even a Mac by using the
cloud. Alas, Microsoft tries to get you
to download and install the entire Live
Essentials package. But when you start
to install the package from windows
.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-live/
essentials-home you have the option to
uncheck all the programs you dont want
and just install Mesh. While Windows
Live Essentials is not compatible with
Macs, you can find Live Mesh for Mac
at the Microsoft Download Center.
Once installed and logged in to
Windows Live, you use the Synch
a Folder command to upload the
current contents of a designated folder
to Microsoft SkyDrive (5GB of free
storage). When you install Mesh on
another computer and log in, you will
be able to add these synced folders to
your desktop. When Mesh is active on
both PCs, it will keep the contents of
the folders synced. You can also go to
your Live account and your SkyDrive
from any PC and see the contents of
these synced folders and download local
copies of the files.
Light As A Feather
Ever try accessing YouTube over a
dodgy connection? Not pretty. YouTube
is working on it. A test program called
Feather Beta says it is using advanced
web techniques to minimize latency and
at the same time reduce the feature set
that YouTube loads into the browser.
Go to www.youtube.com/feather_beta
to turn the feature on and then use the
Browse button to go to a much-strippeddown home page. But if you want to
put YouTube on a serious diet on your
browser, just use the m.youtube.com
mobile entryway to the portal.
YouTube: The Game
Although the much-loved Google Labs
is long gone, sister company YouTube
keeps the experimental spirit alive at
YouTube TestTube (youtube.com/
testtube). Here is where you will find the
aforementioned Feather Beta along with
experiments like the online video editor,
enhanced caption editing for your videos,
and an ongoing test of an HTML5
version of the video portal.
But our favorite lab test is the addictive
YouTube Slam game that has you vote
in a series of head-to-head rounds to see
if you can pick the more popular of two
clips. There is an ongoing leaderboard to
Google SketchUp
According to Google, 30 million
people activated this incredibly powerful
and free 3D modeling software in the
past year. SketchUp, now in its eighth
version (Sketchup.google.com), lets you
do everything from room remodeling to
making a 3D version of your own house
that you can upload to Google Earth.
You can make precise measurements to
draw things to scale. You can take any
flat surface object and extrude it to give
it depth. SketchUp will be transferred to
navigation firm Trimble at some point in
the near future, but the core SketchUp
team will remain in place.
Facebook Toolbar
For the social media-addicted among
us, Facebook has a browser add-on for
Firefox and IE that lets you bring the
network with you. The toolbar makes
it easy to share any page on FB without
having to find the tool on the thirdparty page. It also links you directly to
the core FB services, keep an eye on
new messages, and upload photos.
INFINITE LOOP
Science Squeezes
Juice From Viruses
Researchers at the University of California,
Berkeley and the Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory have made a
piezoelectric generator out of viruses.
Seung-Wuk Lee and his colleagues placed
thin films of a genetically engineered virus
with piezoelectric properties between two
gold electrodes. When the stack is squeezed,
it produces about one-quarter the voltage
of a AAA battery. When two stacks are
combined, they can power a small LCD.
The researchers are working to increase
the amount of energy the virus stacks can
produce and say that in five to 10 years,
these viral films could be used in small
devices that harvest energy from footsteps
or heartbeats.
lbl.gov
http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/05/sheets-of-virus-generate-electricity-when-squished/
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94
2D Meets 3D,
You Win
by Chris Trumble
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Crowdfunding
A Renaissance
Kickstarter Creates A New Generation Of Art Patrons . . . Us
The record-holding Kickstarter project is the Pebble E-Paper Watch with more than $10 million in
crowdfunding support. The customizable phone has downloadable clock faces, app-driven functions,
and phone connectivity.
100
Funding A Fantasy
Star Trek fans may recognize Suzie Plakson from her various roles as a Klingon, Vulcan, and
Andorian on those series, or as a personal assistant in the film Wag the Dog. But courtesy of
Kickstarter she has become a producer of the multimedia fantasy fiction project The Return Of
King Lillian. She says that the process of securing backers on Kickstarter amounted to more than
just getting funding. The project can be tracked at its dedicated site KingLillian.com.
CPU: Why was funding needed for this project, and how will it be used?
Plakson: The funding is essential, of course, to pay the web designer and the site artist, to
subsidize what will be a great big chunk of recording studio time, to fuel our marketing, and to foot
the bill for a thousand other little etceteras that will surely present themselves in our multimedia
venture.
CPU: Your project succeeded on Kickstarter, met its goal and got the funding. Was this by virtue
of the sites own discovery features or were there other tools you used to engage contributors?
Plakson: Ah, it was the power of Facebook that helped us immensely, as well as the power
of friendship, neither of which should ever be underestimated. In addition, Im an actress,
and amongst other roles, Ive played four characters on three Star Trek TV series. Now, that
particular honor happens to come with a famous following of fabulous folks, whose generosity and
enthusiasm are also never to be underestimated. We created a beautiful handout, for example, that
I distributed at a recent Trek convention after I spoke about my passion for the project; I pointed
people to our Kickstarter page and shared my enthusiasm for the process.
CPU: Aside from funding, what contacts/exposure etc. did you get from this?
Plakson: The most heartening, astonishing gift of Kickstarter has been is that we now have a
very potent and passionate fan base. King Lillian is out in the public arena now, as a name and
an idea and a story that people cant wait to hear, and that is exceptionally powerful.
CPU: What obligation do you feel to those who now are your benefactors?
Plakson: Our primary aim is to do them proud. We are determined to sink every ounce of
gratitude for every hard-earned, generously given dollar into creating the most elegant e-book,
audiobook, and website possible, in as timely a fashion as possible. And all because of our donors
magnificent belief in us, were now off on an amazing journey, with fresh wind in our sails.
Kickstarter is a beautiful, beautiful thing.
101
102
Beyond Kickstarter
Crowdfunding is a new cottage industry
online as both new and established sites
gain prominence. These are just some of
Kickstarters rivals.
SS
Q
SS
SS
103
So, people should look at powerline networking as a complementary technology to Wi-Fi, and not
a competitor?
SS
SS
104
SS
Q
SS
SS
SS
The next wave of powerline products will be PowerlineAV 2 solutions. These products will be rated at
1Gbps theoretical speeds, meaning they
will have real throughput performance
between 250 to 450Mbps, depending on
the specific environment. PowerlineAV
2 products will be available within 12 to
18 months. We are very excited about
this technology. It will help solidify the
powerline market appeal in the face of
new wireless solutions that are currently
hitting the market.
SS
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06.29-07.01.12
ColossalCon - Sandusky, OH
NostalgiaConventions.com
06.08-09.12
07.06-08.12
06.08-10.12
AnimeSouthEast - Sevierville, TN
nostalgiaconventions.com
06.15-17.12
07.13-16.12
PDXLAN 20 - Tigard, OR
www.pdxlan.net
06.16.12
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
Quake and Steak LAN - Mantua, OH
quakesteaklan.webs.com
WV Gamers - Eugene, OR
www.wvgamers.com
06.22-24.12
Intel LANFest Atlanta Summer 2012 Atlanta, GA
lanfest.intel.com
108
07.13-15.12
07.21.12
Naois Gaming - York, PA
www.naoisgaming.com
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
07.27.12
Intel LANFest DESERTBASH ELEVEN Phoenix, AZ
lanfest.intel.com
08.02-05.12
MillionMan LAN - Louisville, KY
www.lanwar.com/LWEventHome.
asp?EventID=125
Quakecon - Dallas, TX
www.quakecon.org
10.20.12
WV Gamers - Eugene, OR
www.wvgamers.com
08.18.12
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
09.14-16.12
Ouiumicon.com - Louisville, KY
NostalgiaConventions.com
09.15.12
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
09.15-16.12
Exile XII - Troy, NY
www.exilecomputergaming.com
09.22.12
WV Gamers - Eugene, OR
www.wvgamers.com
09.29.12
Naois Gaming - York, PA
www.naoisgaming.com
11.02-04.12
PDXLAN November - Portland, OR
www.pdxlan.net/portland
11.17.12
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
WV Gamers - Eugene , OR
www.wvgamers.com
12.15.12
NGCs LAN-A-GEDDON - Greenville, TX
www.networkgamingclub.com
Oklahoma Gamers Group Oklahoma City, OK
www.okgg.org
10.12-14.12
Banzaicon - Columbia, SC
nostalgiaconventions.com
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RK
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cooling setup but uses a much thicker radiator (49mm thickness vs. 25mm), which
dramatically increases the cooling power by
expanding the heat-dissipating surface area.
The WATER2.0 Extreme, the ultra-performance model, is the best all-in-one closedloop CPU water cooler available today. To
achieve the best possible performance, the
radiator used on the WATER2.0 Extreme
measures 240mm in length with two included 120mm PWM-enabled fans, and
users looking for additional cooling power
can add two extra fans, for a total of four.
In addition to the obvious performance
benefits, these coolers can also dramatically
reduce a systems noise output. WATER2.0
solutions offer the best of both worlds.
RK
RK